Trading the ice tools for carbon trekking poles, I had put in a solid 6 weeks of trail running, strength, and cycling through spring 2024. My aerobic base was coming along nicely and I felt ready for a test. Winter’s grip almost totally gone from the mountains, I had heard that Mt. Chocorua was a must see and started planning a trip.

Traverse of the Chocorua Cirque, 5 hr, 9.6 mi, 3300 ft ascent

I decided on a counter clockwise traverse of the ancient cirque, first climbing up to The Sisters via Carter ledge then traversing over to the Chocorua summit and descending via the Liberty and Weetamoo trails. I would go in a pretty aggressive style with trail running shoes, poles, and a 5L vest pack. Carrying 2L of water, gels and electrolyte mix, my emergency kit and EPIRB, as well as a light rain jacket. Conditions were forecast to be warm but overcast with likely showers throughout the day.

Working hard on the climb up to Carter Ledge

I set out running from the trailhead but soon realized that I would need to pace myself thoughtfully so as not to waste my legs on the steepest sections. I reasoned that I would find plenty of good running along the way and focused on matching my pace to the terrain.

The rain would definitely be with me for the duration, the positive side being that temps would stay lower and my carried water would be enough to last the duration with maybe one fill up from a natural source on descent.

On the slabs below the Third Sister

As I continued up the spur past Carter Ledge and approached the Third Sister the rain began to pick up substantially and my jacket was starting to fully wet-out. Faced with a lengthy section of wet rock slabs, I had a decision to make. I knew that if I continued on and gained the Sisters, I would essentially be committed to the full traverse. Descending wet slab in trail runners is one of those things you don’t really want to do, you just get away with it, more or less. I decided to carry on.

The crux of running in the mountains is balancing weight and contingency. Speed is life and generating heat through the aerobic work of movement becomes essential. I was wet, in the pain cave, but making a good pace.

View of the Chocorua summit from The Sisters

I caught a view of Chocorua and instantly understood why it’s such a local legend. Feeling the vibe, I really leaned into the running. I ran as much as possible across the sisters and up to the summit, even scrambling as hard as I dared on the rock sections.

Feeling strong and free on the summit of the shining mountain

The view from the summit was nothing short of stunning. Along with the nearby technical rock climbing opportunities this place has it all. It’s a beautiful public resource that directly enriches those who engage with it.

The next weekend I would “guide” a good friend up the classic Piper Trail. My fee being one of my favorite sour ales for a summit celebration.